


May's Abusive Boyfriend

by Emily_F6



Series: Irondad Bingo 2019 [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: BAMF Peter Parker, Gen, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Protective Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:21:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23165398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emily_F6/pseuds/Emily_F6
Summary: Peter liked May's new boyfriend.  He really did.
Relationships: Peter Parker and Tony Stark, Peter Parker and may Parker
Series: Irondad Bingo 2019 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1664827
Comments: 7
Kudos: 403





	May's Abusive Boyfriend

Peter stared down at his hands, taking deep breaths, the sound of his own heartbeat the only thing he could focus on despite the other sounds...sounds of people snoring or walking around...sounds of clicking keyboards in another room, or keys jangling on belts...or crying. At least one person was crying.

He was crying too. Huge, silent tears that dripped down his cheeks. He was shaking. But he didn't know how to stop. Didn't know when he'd started.

That was a lie. He knew exactly when he'd started...when Simon's nose had snapped under his fist.

He stared at his hands for a long time, his brain making patterns in the dried blood. The chains connecting his wrists were too tight but he didn't care. This was all his fault. He deserved the pain. So he'd live with it. When they'd offered him a phone call, he'd shaken his head. Said he didn't have anyone to call. That was a lie. The truth was, he didn't deserve to call anyone.

He might have killed a man tonight.

Someone stepped in front of him suddenly...he hadn't even heard them enter. They grabbed his bloodstained hands and, producing a key, unlocked the cuffs. He could have just broken them, but honestly didn't feel like he had the energy. He wasn't sure why they were uncuffing him, but he didn't care.

"Peter?" There was someone else kneeling in front of him then, a hand resting on his knee. "Kid, can you look at me?" Slowly, Peter raised his eyes and met the brown ones of Mr. Stark. Of course. Of course Mr. Stark had found out. "Come on. Let's get you out of here."

"I...I can't…I have to stay until…" He wasn't sure, actually. It wasn't like he'd ever been arrested before. Mr. Stark continued to speak in that soft, soothing voice.

"I took care of it, Pete. Come on." Peter felt the man taking his arm and pulling him up, and the boy let himself be pulled. His knees buckled though, and Mr. Stark swore, lunging to catch him. "Are you hurt?" he asked, sounding incredulous. Peter started to say no, but honestly, he wasn't sure.

"I don't know," he whispered through dry lips.

"Okay." The man spoke softly like Peter was a scared dog or something. "Try and walk with me kid." Peter started to take a step, but then it came back to him.

"I think my ankle is broken." Peter ground out, and as if the remembering triggered the pain, he felt a line of fire going up his leg as he leaned more heavily on Mr. Stark, keeping his foot off the ground. The man adjusted his hold on Peter, supporting his left side.

"What happened to your ankle?"

"I...I was stopping some guys and..." Peter shook his head, hating how his voice broke. If he hadn't been out...if he hadn't been trying to be a superhero then May...

Mr. Stark's gentle voice cut him off. "Okay. That's okay, kid. Let's get you out to the car. We can talk later."

"Can I really go?" he asked, voice small as a tear slipped out of his eye. For some reason, he'd expected to be there all night...to be stuff in a cell until morning. The man softened, jaw tight and eyes suspiciously bright as he nodded.

"Yeah, buddy. Let's get you out of here. How long have you been here?"

"I don't know." It was true. He had no idea what time he'd been thrown into the cell...no idea what time it was then.

"You should have called me." The words were gentle, but they still hurt. Still, there was something he needed to know first.

"Where is she?"

"I've had her transferred to the Med Bay. Bruce is taking care of her now."

"What about…" Peter swallowed hard, struggling to get the words out.

"Don't worry about him, buddy."

"I...did I…". Peter swallowed, but he had to know as Mr. Stark helped him hobble past the police officers milling around and the other people in handcuffs.

"He's alive, Pete." Peter felt boneless all of a sudden...his legs gave out as he let out a sob, but Mr. Stark was there to catch him, staggering a little under his weight.

"Alright, buddy. It's okay. Hey…" A hand clasped his cheek and Peter realized that they were still in the station. He wanted out of this place. He wanted out!

"I have to...get out I...I have to get out...Mr. Stark please…"

"Okay. Let's go." He wrapped a firm arm around Peter's waist, practically carrying him through the police station. Peter couldn't tell if people were staring at him. He didn't care. He needed to get out. And Mr. Stark got him out. Suddenly Happy was there too, pulling the door open and getting an arm under Peter's other side so that Mr. Stark could balance him a little better.

"Mr. Stark? Mr. Stark? Is it true that…" The flashes of light hit Peter hard and he would have dropped had Happy not scooped him up, a hand pressing into the back of his head so that Peter's face was flush against his shoulder. People were shouting questions, but then they were at a car and Mr. Stark was taking him, easing him into a car, Happy blocking the flashes of light with his body as Mr. Stark shut the car door.

Peter was only alone in the back seat for about five seconds before Mr. Stark was climbing in beside him. He sat on his own side for a long moment, his eyes on Peter, before he finally moved over to the middle right as Happy took off. Tentatively, the man lifted an arm and wrapped it around Peter's shoulders, and Peter slumped against him, head going naturally to his shoulder. "How did you break your ankle?"

"I was on patrol." He whispered, fuzzy brain struggling to put the events in the right order. "I...I stopped a drug deal but he...one of them...they hit me with a pipe or something...while I was swinging. I got away...swung home. He was…" Peter felt his stomach lurch and Mr. Stark put a hand on his back as Peter pressed his hand to his mouth.

"Okay...you don't have to talk about it right now. It's okay. Deep breaths, Pete. Does it hurt?" Too wrung out to lie, Peter nodded. "We're going to get your ankle fixed and then we can talk."

"Is she okay?" he asked, voice breaking once he was sure he wouldn't throw up in Mr. Stark's nice car.

"Bruce is looking her over." Mr. Stark told him again, voice very carefully even.

"I should have known."

"No. You can't do this to yourself. You had no way of knowing, Peter."

"They fought sometimes...they fought and I didn't realize…"

"Everyone fights sometimes, Pete. Hell, Pepper and I fight. That doesn't mean…". The man trailed off as Peter dropped his head in his hands.

He'd liked Simon. May had started dating him about six months ago, and even though Peter had been hesitant at first, he'd grown to like the man. Three weeks ago, May had brought him to Peter's science fair and the man had met Mr. Stark for the first time.

"Mr. Stark. It's an honor to meet you." The man had said, shaking the billionaire's hand. "May's told me all about what you've done for Peter. It's pretty incredible."

Mr. Stark had smiled, dropping a hand on Peter's shoulder and squeezing. "He's an incredible kid."

Later he'd taken Peter and May out for dinner, inviting Mr. Stark to come too, and he'd insisted on paying for everyone. When Peter and Mr. Stark had been alone for a minute, Mr. Stark had turned to him. "He seems pretty nice. What do you think of him?"

Shyly, Peter has smiled up at the man. "I really like him. He makes May happy and...he really is nice." More than that, he'd taken an interest in Peter. Invited him to help when he'd fixed their shower and showed him a couple of things on May's car. He never made Peter feel like he didn't want him around...never yelled at Peter or snapped at him or tried to take Ben's place. And it had felt good to have him around. Like...okay, not like Ben. But similar.

When Peter had walked in on he and May fighting, Simon would always be the one to put an immediate stop to it, smiling sheepishly and usually apologizing. May would apologize too, assuring Peter that everything was fine. And Peter had believed them...had just assumed they were regular fights. He hadn't thought anything of the broken dishes he would sometimes find in the trash. The fact that May had started wearing more makeup.

His spider senses hadn't gone off...because he hadn't been in danger. May had.

So he'd missed the warning signs. The way May would wear long sleeves sometimes. The fighting. How she'd been so careful to do what Simon wanted. But...but it hadn't been obvious! It had started so small and...and he'd always been nice to Peter! Always! He'd even started to think...Peter shoved that thought down, unable to bear it.

When they reached the compound, a doctor he didn't recognize was waiting for them with a wheelchair, and Peter didn't argue when Mr. Stark helped him into it. He didn't care. Didn't care as he was wheeled into the building and to the medbay. He didn't see May around...but he didn't ask again. "Did the police know about your ankle?" Mr. Stark asked, an edge to his voice, and Peter shook his head. They'd practically dragged him out of the apartment and into the elevator...but he couldn't remember much past that. He'd probably just leaned on his right side but...he couldn't be sure.

"I don't think so." Mr. Stark nodded slowly, rubbing his shoulder a little.

The doctor moved silently, Mr. Stark helping him into the bed, something that would usually have embarrassed him, but all he could think of was May...her sobbing. The way she'd cowered away from Simon's hand.

Himself screaming.

Then blood. So much blood.

The doctor put a cast on his ankle after taking a couple of x-rays and it throbbed and ached but he didn't care. He wanted to see May. Needed to see that she was okay with his own eyes. And Mr. Stark seemed to know that because he had Bruce come in once he got Peter settled in bed. The man didn't ask how he was doing, just got straight to it.

"Her right wrist was sprained, and I put her in a cast. The cut on her head needed seven stitches but she's resting now. She was asking for you while you were getting your cast on, but the painkillers put her to sleep." He paused, then his face softened. "She's going to be fine. No permanent damage."

"You can both stay here. For as long as you want." Mr. Stark murmured. Peter nodded, swallowing hard, and then Bruce was gone and Mr. Stark was climbing onto the bed beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Alright, buddy. Think you can tell me what happened?""

"I could have killed him." Mr. Stark shook his head.

"You didn't." Peter sniffed, wiping at his face. "Kid. You didn't kill him. He's going to live. In jail, but still." Peter leaned against the man, letting him guide Peter's head to his shoulder.

"I liked him."

"You didn't know, Peter."

"I should have." The man tightened his arm around Peter's shoulders, pulling a blanket up to his chest, and Peter shivered a little, realizing for the first time that he was cold. "I never saw him drink...not like that. I should have been around more."

"You cannot blame yourself for this, bud. Hey…" Mr. Stark put a hand on his cheek, turning him so that he had to look at him. "This was not your fault. You didn't know. You never would have let this happen if you'd know. Right?" Peter nodded, feeling like his senses were slowly returning. "Okay. Do you think you can tell me what happened?"

So Peter started with the drug deal...getting his ankle broken and swinging home. Crawling in through his window and changing out of his suit, planning on calling Mr. Stark. And then...he'd heard the crying. "May...she was telling him to stop. And he was yelling...I never heard him yell like that. He was drinking and...I don't know why he was so mad." Mr. Stark didn't ask him any questions, just nodded. Waited. "I went in...he...he had her against the wall and he was trying to…" He swallowed. "She kept saying no and she was crying. I told him to leave her alone…"

He'd screamed it, horror making a knot in his stomach.

"He yelled at me. Acted like he was going to grab me...May tried to grab his arm and he shoved her." Peter bit down on his lip, shaking his head. "She tripped..."

"That's when she hit her head?" Mr. Stark asked, a thumb rubbing over the back of his neck.

"On the nightstand." He nodded. "And then...you hit him?"

"I...yeah...I punched him and then…"

And then he'd kept punching him.

Mr. Stark nodded, pulling him closer and resting his chin on Peter's hair. He was crying again, Peter realized as he felt tears drip down his face. "It's okay. It's going to be okay, kiddo. I've got you." Peter closed his eyes, unable to stop the sobs now that they'd started. Mr. Stark didn't push him away though, just sat there, holding him until someone else came into the room, placing something into Mr. Stark's hands. Then the man took one of Peter's hands, gently rubbing what turned out to be a warm washcloth over his hands. Washing away the blood.

_**Thank you for reading!** _


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